Electrical Contracting News (ECN) August 2016 - Page 22

CABLE MANAGEMENT
RATINGS BATTLE
Advances in the cable management
market are offering a more practical and
economical route to IP4X compliance.
Achieving compliance for cable containment systems that exceed IP30 and ensuring installations
stay within Wiring Regulations can often be a protracted process. Here, Jon Hillier at Metsec
considers how IP4X rated electrical enclosures can help to maximise the safe performance of a
cable containment solution – without compromising on project lead times.
C
omplying with Wiring
Regulations is a key
responsibility and
sometimes there is
more than one way to
meet the criteria. This
is the situation that
electrical contractors
routinely face when specifying metal cable
trunking systems for their projects.
Background
Since 2012, when the first amendment
to BS7671:2008 ‘Requirements for
electrical installations’ came into force, it
has been necessary for all single insulated,
non-sheathed cables to be contained in
an enclosure that meets either an IP4X or
IPXXD rating. Both ratings, in accordance
with BS EN60529:1992, are designed to
provide a reliable standard for determining
the level of protection offered by an
enclosure against solid objects and water.
In addition, the ratings serve to protect
installers and service engineers from
electrical accidents through unintended
ingress of wire – a precautionary measure
that IP30 does not include.
It should be highlighted though, that the
two ingress protection (IP) ratings IP4X
and IPXXD, are not equally robust. This
is due to the inherent alphanumerical IP
code, which classifies dust resistance
and waterproofing of cable management
trunking and containment systems. The
first and second numerals relate to the
level of care needed against the ingress of
solid objects and water, but interestingly,
the use of ‘X’ in any protection rating
indicates that for the range of products
covered, protection is not required.
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